it's going to kill aftermarket exhaust systems :)

Absolutely ridicolous! Like a larger car has LESS emissions becuase how it's calculated (emission per volume).

I know this is considered blasphemy by some but... I was at the dealer yesterday and have to say...
The caymen looks like a fun car. I love my 911 but I think I'll consider it next time around as an option.
I plan on keeping the 997s until my kids either don't fit or don't want to ride in the back anymore.

Who cares about when your car is stopped? Its all about the driving!

don't be silly - that's not blasphemy. it's a nice car. fun, balanced. in 10 years the cayman spec series will be killer, i'll bet.

Nonsense. Tons of people are interested in having a fun car that is also good for the environment; people would love to "have their cake and eat it too" so to speak. Just because you don't care doesn't mean no one does.

Porsche seems to be pushing Hybrid "intelligent performance" pretty hard; I wonder if the 911 will be a Hybrid some day? I can just see Adias' ears steaming now!

Yeah the footprint loophole is certainly something worth getting upset about. It's a loophole that was put in a long time ago to help the American car makers, which would otherwise just be killed on CAFE because they make such awfully polluting huge cars.

The even more absurd loophole is the "flex fuel" loophole, which tons of GM cars qualify for because they can run ethanol.

The European system is much better, where large polluting cars pay a reasonable extra tax at purchase time and also annually. This tax is a fair market way of recouping the costs imposed on society as a whole by the owners of these vehicles.

If we want to reduce carbon emissions NOW, while dramatically improving fuel economy, there's only one word: DIESEL. Not for the 911, mind you, but the 911 is already the most efficient car in its class. The only thing that comes close is the Evora...

Don't even get me started about the practicality of corn-sourced ethanol...
:soapbox:

Agreed on diesel (done right) for fuel economy on everyday cars. For CO2 reduction I suggest its proponents to stop exhaling.

Re the 991 complexity... it's just that and complexity comes as a way to compromise. Why should we compromise on a sports car?

My ears are fine... :)

The Cayman is a great car. I only hear that very tall guys have a problem fitting.

But do expect all the gov-dictated nonsense to permeate all cars in the line...

+1000!

I agree with lower emission/lower gas consumption regulation overall and I think better technologies can give us that without any issues. Europe model WAY better!

Exactly! Biggest CO2 production is caused by raising cattle! I don't see any regulation on HOW MUCH I SHOULD EAT MEAT, now do I? They said there's MORE CO2 emission by driving in your Prius to your groceries to buy ONE piece of steak, then driving 200 miles in your V8 Range Rover!

I really have NO IDEA who's behind the whole non-sense CO2 causing global warming crap. Even if they were legitmiate, they need to look at ALL things that produce CO2, while it seems the target is almost 100% towards combustion engines and car industry.

I did not mean to open a viper's nest here... so let's refrain ourselves. :)

Re reg on what you (I) eat... if we do not pay attention...

The impetus is gov control and gov revenue and cronyism-fueled profits for some.

Diesel returns better MPG than petrol because the fuel contains more energy. The reason so many European cars burn diesel is because of taxation. Diesel fuel is taxed at a somewhat lower rate than petrol based on its energy content, so it's cheaper to run a diesel car over there. Diesels aren't particularly nice to drive either. There's a surge of torque but the engine is out of revs very quickly. It's OK in something like a Range Rover but it's no fun in a performance car.

Have you driven a 2010 Golf TDI? I think not.